Longevity with a Turtle

Chapter 83: Chapter 82: Qualifications = Dining Table

The third piece of news concerned Chen Jianghe. After Yu Daniu became a steward, he altered Chen Jianghe’s aquaculture water area, relocating him from Zone C No.12 to Zone A No.6.

This new location was closer to Huxing Island and boasted more abundant Spiritual Qi. Once this year’s fish harvest concluded, Chen Jianghe could move into the Zone A No.6 Water Area.

Chen Jianghe was largely indifferent to the change. To him, any location worked fine for Cultivation and drawing Spirit Talismans. In fact, Zone C No.12 was slightly better, as it made it easier for Little Black to stay hidden.

However, his bulk purchases of Spirit-Encompassing Flowers, combined with his frequent visits to the Jingyue Treasure Pavilion’s Spirit Beast District and the Beast Taming Workshop to inquire about prices, had already exposed the fact that he was raising a Spirit Beast. It was just that no one knew exactly what kind of Spirit Beast he was cultivating.

The fourth piece of news was about this year’s New Year’s Eve auction at the Hundred Treasures Tower, which would feature three grand finale treasures. Word had spread that one of these final items was a Third-Grade Lower-Class Bloodline Young Beast, presented by the Beast Taming Immortal Race Zhou Family.

This direct revelation attracted numerous Foundation Establishment Ancestors from various Immortal Races.

A Second-Grade High-Class Bloodline Spirit Beast with a Tier Two Spirit Core had a thirty percent chance of advancing to a Tier Two Spirit Beast. But a Third-Grade Lower-Class Bloodline Spirit Beast had a fifty percent chance of advancing even without a Tier Two Spirit Core. If provided with one, the success rate surged to seventy percent.

Therefore, buying a Third-Grade Lower-Class Bloodline Spirit Beast meant that, as long as it was raised properly, the clan would undoubtedly gain a Tier Two Spirit Beast in the future—which was equivalent to adding another Foundation Establishment Ancestor to their ranks.

Most importantly, Spirit Beasts enjoyed long lifespans. A Tier Two Spirit Beast could serve as a Clan Guardian Spirit Beast to be passed down through generations.

Yu Daniu’s intention was for Chen Jianghe to attend the Hundred Treasures Tower auction with him on New Year’s Eve. Even if he didn’t buy anything, he could join the festivities and broaden his horizons.

Chen Jianghe asked Yun Xiaoniu to pass a message back to Yu Daniu, confirming he would visit the Hundred Treasures Tower.

Third-Grade Bloodline Spiritual Beasts were a rare sight indeed. Even a Third-Grade Lower-Class Bloodline Spirit Beast was nonexistent in Jingyue Lake, yet one was slated to appear at this auction.

He could use the bloodline aura emitted by the Third-Grade Lower-Class Bloodline Spirit Beast to gauge the purity of Little Black’s bloodline. He was certain Little Black’s bloodline purity surpassed that of the Long-Armed Ape, but whether it had reached the Third-Grade Lower-Class level remained unclear.

Because the Black Crystal Profound Turtle inheritance was flawed, Little Black was also ignorant of his own bloodline purity. He could only compare it by sensing the auras emitted by other Spirit Beasts.

November arrived.

Chen Jianghe consumed another Qi Storage Pill, absorbing and refining its medicinal properties to enhance his Cultivation. Little Black wasn’t slacking either. He devoured a Spirit-Encompassing Flower and contentedly urged the Little Cyan Fishes to take him on a stroll to digest his meal.

A month later.

The Yun Family’s large boat arrived to collect the fish. The steward in charge was Yun Wu.

”Brother Chen, you have a great harvest this year!” Yun Wu said, walking down from the large boat with a beaming smile. He approached Chen Jianghe and personally handed over the currency. ”Six Entry Tier Little Cyan Fishes, minus one catty and eight taels for weight loss. Here are eight Spirit Stones; please keep them safe.”

”Thank you, Steward,” Chen Jianghe replied.

”Hey now, we’re all brothers here! No need to be so polite,” Yun Wu laughed heartily.

Chen Jianghe gladly accepted the eight Spirit Stones. He naturally knew why Yun Wu’s attitude toward him had taken such a drastic turn. The man had even given him an extra twenty grains of Spiritual Sand.

This was all because Yu Daniu had become a Yun Family steward, and everyone knew that Yu Daniu and Chen Jianghe were as close as brothers.

Although Yun Wu’s older brother had once been Yun Bufan’s attendant and was now a Yun Family steward himself, Yu Daniu’s father-in-law was a Yun Family Elder. Being a steward himself with an Elder for a father-in-law spoke volumes about Yu Daniu’s lofty status within the Yun Family.

Most importantly, now that he was a steward, cultivating to the Ninth-Layer Qi Refining and becoming an Elder was only a matter of time. Yu Daniu could very well become the Yun Family’s first Foreign Clan Elder.

Naturally, Yun Wu didn’t dare offend him.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, a thoroughly delighted Yun Wu reluctantly took his leave to collect fish from other water areas.

Chen Jianghe thought to himself, ”Now that Daniu is a Yun Family steward, I’ve gained quite a few conveniences. This is good; there won’t be any obstacles when I eventually leave Jingyue Lake.”

He sent a sound transmission to Little Black at the bottom of the lake, instructing him to follow his aura through the water. ”We’re moving. Keep up.”

Soon after, Chen Jianghe arrived at the Zone A No.6 Water Area. The Spiritual Qi here was indeed more abundant, though it still fell within the category of Tier One High-Grade Spiritual Veins.

Upon arriving, Little Black appeared exceptionally excited.

”Wow, an Immortal Island! I can actually see the Immortal Island! Is that the legendary Immortal Island my ancestors talked about?” Little Black babbled, swimming excitedly beneath the upturned boat and occasionally poking half his head out to gaze at Huxing Island in the distance. ”Master, did you know? The legends passed down from my dad’s dad’s dad’s dad—well, however many dads it was—say that those QUACKING Big White Birds and Cyan-Scaled Fishes only need to cultivate into Immortal Beasts to earn the right to board the island.

”But for our Black Crystal Profound Turtle clan, we are destined from birth to never have the right to go up there.

”Master, will I ever get the chance to enter the Immortal Island in the future?”

”An Immortal Island? The right to board?” Chen Jianghe muttered, twitching his mouth. He had indeed seen quite a few Little Cyan Fishes and White Egrets on Huxing Island, but they were mostly being served as dishes in the Jingyue Immortal Tower. ”What? Are you hoping to be boiled into soup?”

Turtles that hadn’t become Spirit Beasts were already a favorite delicacy for some Cultivators. But soup made from a turtle that had successfully become a Spirit Beast was even more highly sought after.

”What soup? You’re so ignorant,” Little Black retorted.

He dove deeper, admiring the Immortal Island Foundation Stones not far away. A faint, clear light emanated from them, and Little Black’s eyes were filled with yearning.

”I’m ignorant?” Chen Jianghe rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that if the opportunity ever arose, he really had to take this turtle to the Jingyue Immortal Tower to see exactly how the Immortal Beasts he admired so much ’achieved enlightenment’.

Dismissing the stray thoughts, he focused his Heart and Mind and resumed his Talisman Making. With just over ten days left until New Year’s Eve, he aimed to draw a few more Five Elements Escape Talismans to line his pockets.

Time quietly slipped by, and in the blink of an eye, New Year’s Eve arrived.

Following his usual routine, Chen Jianghe had Little Black dive deep to the bottom of the lake before heading to the Jingyue Marketplace on Huxing Island.

His first stop was the Jingyue Treasure Pavilion to sell the Spirit Talismans he had drawn over the past year. He had produced thirty-two Five Elements Escape Talismans. After deducting the seven Spirit Stones required for Talisman Painting costs, he and Talisman Master Chu Lang each received a share of thirty-seven Spirit Stones.

This marked the eighth year of splitting profits with Talisman Master Chu Lang. In just two more years, the transaction for the Talisman Dao inheritance would be complete. He planned to wait those two years before attempting to draw Middle-Grade Spiritual Talismans.

The reason he wasn’t trying it now was twofold. First, his Talisman Success Rate for Lower-Grade Attack Spirit Talismans hadn’t yet reached seventy percent. Second, attempting Middle-Grade Spiritual Talismans during his profit-sharing agreement might result in an entire year with barely any profit. Since he had already received the master’s inheritance, there was no need to be so calculating.

Leaving the Jingyue Treasure Pavilion, he followed his usual route—first to Fushou Street to deliver the thirty-seven Spirit Stones to Talisman Master Chu Lang, then to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to purchase Talisman-Making Materials. He bought four boxes of Spiritual Ink and fifty sheets of High-Quality Talisman Paper. The remaining two Spirit Stones, originally meant for Talisman Pen wear and tear, went straight into Chen Jianghe’s pocket.

Having bought his materials, he waited for Yu Daniu at the Hundred Treasures Tower. With his Sixth-Layer Qi Refining Cultivation, he couldn’t even access the second floor, let alone the auction on the third floor. He had no choice but to wait for Yu Daniu to bring him up.

However, the Hundred Treasures Tower on this New Year’s Eve was livelier than ever. Even the opening day of the Jingyue Marketplace couldn’t compare to today’s bustling prosperity.

The entrance was packed, with Cultivators constantly streaming in. Some were on the first floor purchasing Cultivation Resources, but the majority of the Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators headed straight up to the second floor.

Standing by the puppet counter near the stairs, Chen Jianghe watched the ascending Cultivators out of the corner of his eye. There were a few Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators among them, though they were all escorted by Late-Stage ones.

”A Foundation Establishment Ancestor?” Chen Jianghe wondered to himself as he noticed an elderly man ascending the stairs. The elder emanated absolutely no magical power aura, yet three Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators followed respectfully behind him.

Someone without magical power couldn’t possibly enter the Hundred Treasures Tower, nor would they command such deference from Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators. The only explanation was that this man was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

His aura was completely concealed, likely because his magical power had achieved total liquefaction. It was also possible that he had mastered a technique like the Concealing Breath Technique.

Chen Jianghe shifted his attention from the stairs to the various oddly shaped puppets displayed on the counter.

According to the Yun Family Magazine, the Puppetry Technique was considered one of the major skills among the Hundred Cultivation Skills. However, because it demanded extremely high talent and required lengthy production times, it had never been ranked among the Four Extremes of the Hundred Arts.

Tier One Puppets were divided into two categories: Combat Puppets and Supporting Puppets. A Tier One Lower-Grade Combat Puppet possessed combat strength equivalent to Early-Stage Qi Refining. A Middle-Grade one matched Mid-Stage Qi Refining, while a High-Grade one rivaled Late-Stage Qi Refining.

Tier One Combat Puppets lacked spiritual wisdom. They required refinement before they could be mentally controlled to fight enemies through the Heart and Mind.

Tier One Supporting Puppets, on the other hand, weren’t nearly as troublesome. As long as a Spirit Stone was embedded in them, they could autonomously perform simple cleaning and carrying tasks.

Chen Jianghe glanced at the price tags beside the puppets and couldn’t muster even a shred of desire to buy one. Supporting Puppets were generally cheap, costing around ten Spirit Stones. Combat Puppets, however, were exorbitantly expensive.

A Tier One Lower-Grade Combat Puppet demanded twenty Spirit Stones, and a Middle-Grade one required eighty. A Tier One High-Grade Combat Puppet was absurdly priced at a staggering two hundred Spirit Stones.

”If I manage to acquire a Puppet Inheritance in the future, I might try my hand at making these,” Chen Jianghe thought. He had no interest in buying puppets, but he was incredibly interested in making them to earn Spirit Stones.

”Brother Jianghe.”

Just then, Yu Daniu approached from behind, with Yun Xiaoniu tagging along by his side.

”Daniu,” Chen Jianghe said, turning around at the sound of the voice to greet him.

”Uncle,” Xiaoniu greeted.

”Xiaoniu has broken through to the Fourth-Layer Qi Refining, wonderful!” Chen Jianghe praised.

When he had seen Yun Xiaoniu two months ago, the boy had only been at the Third-Layer Qi Refining. Now he was already at the Fourth-Layer. Sure enough, with a family’s backing, there was no shortage of resources—especially when one had a grandfather who was an Elder and a father who was a steward.

”Brother Jianghe, let’s head up first. The auction starts at 8:00 PM,” Yu Daniu said with a bright smile.

Chen Jianghe nodded and followed Yu Daniu up the stairs.

The Late-Stage Qi Refining guards stationed at the steps smiled and nodded in greeting upon seeing Yu Daniu. They didn’t make things difficult for Chen Jianghe and Yun Xiaoniu, despite the two only being in the Mid-Stage Qi Refining.

Reaching the second floor, Chen Jianghe noticed that the stairs didn’t actually offer an entrance to that level; they only continued upward to the third floor.

”The second floor of the Hundred Treasures Tower is a Cultivation area. It’s not open to the public,” Yu Daniu whispered, explaining to Chen Jianghe.

Chen Jianghe nodded. He had previously assumed the second floor was reserved for Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators to purchase higher-value resources. But thinking about it carefully, the variety of resources sold on the first floor was more than enough to meet the needs of anyone below the Foundation Establishment Stage.

In a region where the total number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators could be counted on one hand, there was simply no need to dedicate an entire floor exclusively to selling resources for Foundation Establishment Ancestors. The third-floor auction was more than sufficient.

The Hundred Treasures Tower’s annual New Year’s Eve auction always featured plenty of resources suited for Foundation Establishment Ancestors.